ARMENIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT CAN SAFELY RUN FOR ANOTHER 14 YEARS, STATE ATOMIC ENERGY CONTROL CHIEF SAYS

The Armenian Nuclear Power Plant (ANPP) can safely run for another 14 years. Chief of the State Department of Atomic Energy Control of Armenia Ashot Martirosian told ITAR-TASS agency. In his words, the safety at the ANPP fits all norms, however, as all stations of that generation it demands constant perfection. A. Martirosian also reported that measures to enhance the ANPP safety had been undertaken even before restarting it, at that the terms of stopping the operation of the station are not determined. It should be noted that due to energy safety considerations European Union experts have demanded to close the ANPP by 2004 many times. Official Yerevan says the station should keep functioning until the republic is provided with alternative electric energy sources.